Charging for online tutoring in Canada usually means a per-session rate for 60-minute lessons, with packages of sessions for regular students, and a higher rate for exam prep or senior subjects. Job Bank lists employed tutors (elementary and secondary school subjects) at $15.00 (low), $20.00 (median), and $31.50 (high) an hour nationally. A self-employed tutor prices above that employee wage because lesson prep, messages with parents, platform commissions, and both halves of CPP are unpaid. This guide suits tutors who will count prep time before posting a rate.
How to start is in the online tutoring side hustle guide. Equipment and checks are in online tutoring startup costs. Turning a rate into a regular student is in your first online tutoring client. More remote work sits in the online freelancing hub.
What do tutors earn per hour in Canada?
Employed tutors in Canada earn a median of $20.00 an hour, according to Job Bank’s tutor wage page (NOC 43109, other instructors, reference period 2023–2024, updated November 19, 2025). Those are employee wages, often at tutoring centres that find the students. A self-employed tutor finds and keeps their own.
| Area (Job Bank, tutor) | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $15.00 | $20.00 | $31.50 |
| Ontario | $17.95 | $20.00 | $35.00 |
| British Columbia | $18.25 | $21.67 | $33.50 |
| Alberta | $15.57 | $21.16 | $34.07 |
| Quebec | $16.60 | $20.00 | $28.50 |
This guide does not publish an average private tutoring rate because no public Canadian survey we could verify collects one. Subject, grade level, and credentials move rates a lot.
Which pricing models work for online tutoring in Canada?
Online tutoring in Canada is usually priced per session, as prepaid packages of sessions, or per student in small groups, either directly or through a platform that takes a commission.
| Model | How it works | Works well for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per session | 60-minute lesson at a set rate | New students, occasional help | Last-minute cancellations: write a policy |
| Package | 8 or 10 sessions prepaid | Weekly students | Expiry dates and missed sessions |
| Small group | Each student pays a lower per-head rate | Exam prep, common subjects | Mixed levels slowing the group |
| Premium subject | Higher rate for senior math, sciences, exam prep | Specialised knowledge | Overpromising grades |
| Platform | You set a rate, the platform takes a commission | Finding students without marketing | The commission comes out of your rate |
On Preply, the commission model says the trial lesson with each new student carries a 100% commission, and later lessons carry 33% for new tutors, falling to 28% after 20 hours and to as low as 18% with more teaching hours. Preply’s own example: a $10 USD rate leaves a new tutor $6.70 USD per regular lesson.
How do you calculate an online tutoring rate in Canada?
Calculate an online tutoring rate in Canada from a target hourly pay, the prep and admin minutes per lesson, and any platform commission, then compare with local and platform listings for your subject.
Step 1: Set a target hourly pay
The Job Bank table is your floor check.
Step 2: Count prep and admin per lesson
Planning, worksheets, parent updates, and scheduling. Thirty minutes of unpaid work per hour lesson means only two-thirds of your time is billed.
Step 3: Gross up for commission
On a platform, list price = what you want to receive ÷ (1 − commission rate).
Step 4: Add tools
Whiteboard apps, a document camera, or subscriptions, divided across lessons.
Step 5: Hold back tax and CPP
Self-employed people pay both CPP shares; see CPP contributions and the tax set-aside guide.
Illustrative example
This is a teaching sketch with assumed numbers, not a quote, average, or survey. Suppose your target is $32 an hour, just above Job Bank’s national high of $31.50. Suppose each 60-minute lesson needs 30 minutes of prep and messages, so 1 hour in 1.5 is billable. The direct rate is $32 × 1.5 = $48 per lesson, which you might round to $50.
On a platform that prices in US dollars with a 33% commission, receiving $30 USD per lesson needs a list price of $30 ÷ 0.67 = $44.78 USD. At the Bank of Canada’s daily exchange rate of 1.4246 CAD per USD on October 2, 2026, $30 USD is about $42.74 CAD, before prep time is counted. Once you pass 20 hours and the commission drops to 28%, the same list price leaves $44.78 × 0.72 = $32.24 USD.
A prepaid 10-session package at $50 is $500; offering it at $475 is a 5% discount for commitment. Decide whether unused sessions expire.
What does a sample online tutoring rate sheet look like in Canada?
An online tutoring rate sheet in Canada lists per-session rates by level, packages, and policies. The table is an illustrative example built on the sketch above, not a market average.
| Service (illustrative) | Price |
|---|---|
| Elementary, 60 minutes | $45 |
| Grades 9–10, 60 minutes | $50 |
| Grades 11–12 math or sciences, 60 minutes | $60 |
| 10-session package (grades 9–10) | $475 |
| Small group of 3, 60 minutes, per student | $25 |
| Cancellation under 24 hours | full session charge |
Higher rows assume more prep time per lesson. Write the cancellation window, the package expiry, and whether prices include tax.
When should you raise online tutoring prices in Canada?
Raise online tutoring prices in Canada at natural breaks (September and January), when your weekly slots are full, or when you add a credential or a specialty. Give current families notice before the next package or term.
Keep existing students on their package price until it is used, then move them to the new rate.
What online tutoring pricing mistakes are common in Canada?
Common online tutoring pricing mistakes in Canada are ignoring prep time, forgetting the platform commission, and having no cancellation policy. Each turns a full week into a thin one.
Charge for no-shows. Do not promise grade improvements. Remember the first trial lesson on some platforms pays you nothing. Track prep minutes for a month and adjust.
How do GST/HST and income tax affect online tutoring prices in Canada?
Online tutoring income in Canada is self-employment income reported on Form T2125. Tutoring has its own GST/HST rule: the CRA’s GST/HST Memorandum 20-6, Tutoring and Equivalent Services explains when tutoring individuals in a course that follows an elementary or secondary school curriculum is an exempt supply, which means no GST/HST is charged on it.
Tutoring that falls outside the exemption, such as general coaching, follows the usual $30,000 small-supplier test and the rates on the CRA’s charge and collect page. Read the memorandum before you add tax to a quote. The GST/HST registration guide covers registration.
Packages and parent invoices are easier from one tool. FreshBooks TODO-AFFILIATE can send package invoices and reminders.
This is not tax, legal, or accounting advice.
Which guides sit next to online tutoring pricing in Canada?
Online tutoring pricing in Canada sits beside teach English online pricing, freelance writing pricing, and virtual assistant pricing.
What are the common questions?
How much should I charge for online tutoring in Canada?
There is no official rate. Job Bank lists employed tutors at a national median of $20.00 an hour. A self-employed tutor should set a per-lesson rate that covers prep, admin, any platform commission, and CPP, so it usually sits above that, and compare with listings for the same subject.
How much does Preply take from tutors?
Preply's help centre says the trial lesson with each new student carries a 100% commission, and later lessons carry 33% for new tutors, falling to 28% after 20 hours and as low as 18% with more hours taught.
Do I charge GST/HST on tutoring in Canada?
Some tutoring is exempt. The CRA's GST/HST Memorandum 20-6 explains when tutoring individuals in a course following an elementary or secondary school curriculum is exempt. Other tutoring follows the $30,000 small-supplier test. This is not tax advice.
Should I sell tutoring packages?
Packages suit weekly students and give you predictable income. Set an expiry date and a cancellation rule, and decide whether to offer a small discount for prepaying.
When should I raise my tutoring rate?
At natural breaks such as September and January, when your slots are full, or after adding a credential. Give families notice before the next package or term.
Which sources support this guide?
The rules, rates, and platform requirements in this guide are checked against these primary sources. Retail price ranges are labelled as ranges to verify locally, and they are not quotes.
- Tutor - Secondary School Subjects in Canada: Wages — Government of Canada, Job Bank
- Preply commission model — Preply
- GST/HST Memorandum 20-6: Tutoring and Equivalent Services — Canada Revenue Agency
- Daily exchange rates — Bank of Canada
- When to register for and start charging the GST/HST — Canada Revenue Agency
- Charge and collect the GST/HST — Canada Revenue Agency
- Form T2125, Statement of Business or Professional Activities — Canada Revenue Agency
- Contributions to the Canada Pension Plan — Government of Canada